Press-box-door compensator



Dec. 31, 1929. L. w. CAMPBELL PRESS BOX DOOR COMPENSA' IOR Filed May 1. 1928 Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEON W. CAMPBELL, 01 DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MURRAY COMPANY, OF

DALLAS, TEXAS,

A CORPORATION OF TEXAS PRESS-BOX-DOOR COMPENSATOR Application filed May 11, 1928. Serial No. 277,023.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in press box door compensators.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and economical means for compensating the weight of the side door of a press box, whereby said door may be more easily and more readily opened and closed.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a compensator adapted to act in common for side doors of both press boxes, whereby but one compensator is required for each side of the press and only two for the entire press.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compensator which may be attached to the unalined door-hinge shafts of adjacent boxes.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the inven tion is shown and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, showing a compensator constructed in accordance with the invention, together with component parts of a cotton press,

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detail of the compensator, and

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the compensator body.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates the side door of one press box and 11 the side door of the adjacent press box. The door 10 is mounted upon a hinge shaft 10 and the door 11 is secured upon a hinge shaft 11. The shaft-s may be secured to the doors in any suitable manner and are suitably mounted as in brackets 12 secured to the ends of the boxes.

The shafts have their adjacent ends proj ecting and supporting therebetween a compensator body 13. Each shaft has a ball end 14 seated in a complementary socket 15 in the ends of the body of the compensator. By this universal connection the compensator may be satisfactorily connected with shafts which are out of alinement. Contiguous to the ball end, each shaft has an annular groove 16 which receives the edge of the socket 15 when the parts are dislocated due to unalined shafts.

On each shaft is secured a collar 17, in any suitable manner, as by a key 18. The collars abut the ends of the body 13 and each collar has an upstanding arm 19. On each end of the body a laterally extending lug 20 is located in front of the arm, so that when a side door is swung down the arm of its shaft will engage the adjacent lug and rotate the body.

When the lug on one end of the body is engaged and swung so as to rotate the body, the lug on the opposite end is swung away from its correlated arm. Thus one door may be swung without disturbing the other door. One important feature of the invention is to mount the compensator between and connected with the door hinges, whereby the swinging of either door will rotate the compensator, the particular construction of course, not being essential to the invention.

At its central rear portion the compensator body 13 has a transverse eccentric web or wing 21. Near the lower end of the wing is an eye 22 to which is attached the upper end of a short chain 23. A substantial coiled spring 24: has its upper end attached to the lower end.

of the chain, while its lower end is connected with an eye bolt 25 adjustably mounted in an angle bar 26 or other fixed part of the press. By adjusting the bolt the tension of the spring may be varied.

Normally the side doors 10 and 11 are closed and the parts are in the positions shown in full lines in the drawings. When one of the side doors, as for instance the door 11 is opened, it is pulled forwardly, which rotates its shaft 11 and causes its collar 17 to be swung in a counter-clockwise (Fig. 3) direction. The arm 19 of the said rotated collar will engage the adjacent lug 20 and thus rotate the body 13 in the same direction.

When the body 13 is rotated the lug 20 on its opposite end will be swung away from the arm 19 of the collar of the shaft 10. As the body is rotated the wing 21 will be swung upspring acts to counter the weight of the door as the latter is swung and thus saves exertion.

The use of a single spring for two doors makes for simplicity in construction, a reduction in the number of parts and a saving in cost.

Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts, as well as modifications and alterations, may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Vhat I claim, is:

1. In a press box door compensator, the combination with the hinge shafts of the press box doors, of a rotatable body connected with said shafts, means connected with each shaft for independently rotating the body when a door is opened, and a compensating member attached to the body for countering the rotation of said body to compensate the downward swing of the opened door.

2. In a press box door compensator, the combination with the hinge shafts of adj acent box doors, of a body having means for connecting and adjusting itself to unalined shafts, and means attached to the body resisting the rotation of said body.

3. In a press box door compensator, an elongated body having sockets at each end for receiving and connecting the hinge shafts of press box doors, means for mounting on said shaftsand havlng co-acting engagement with the body, whereby said. body may be rotated by either shaft without movement of the other shaft,a tension member, and means for attaching the tension member to the body.

4. In a press box door compensator, an elongated body having sockets at each end for rotatably receiving and connecting the hinge shafts of press box doors, lugs carried by the body, collars adapted to be fixed on the press box shafts, arms carried by the collars and extending into the paths of the lugs, and a coiled spring having one end connected with the body.

5. In a press box door compensator, the combination with the doors of adjacent press boxes of hinge shafts connected with said doors and projecting toward each other, a body having sockets in its ends receiving the ends of said shafts and rotatably mounted thereon, means mounted 011 the shafts for independently engaging the body, whereby said body may be rotated by one shaft without disturbing the other shaft, and means connected with the body for resisting its rotation.

6. In a press box door compensator, the combination with the doors of adjacent press boxes, of hinge shafts connected with said doors and projecting toward each other, a body having sockets in its ends receiving the ends of said shafts and rotatably mounted thereon, means mounted on the shafts for independently engaging the body, whereby said body may be rotated by one shaft Without disturbing the other shaft, and a coiled spring connected with said body.

7. As a sub-combination in a press box door compensator, an elongated body havin sockets at each end and also provided'with lugs at each end, and a wing extending trans versely from said body.

8. In a press box door compensator, the combination with the doors of adjacent press boxes, of hinge shafts attached itO-StLlCl doors and having ball ends, a body disposed between said shafts and having sockets for receiving said ball ends, lugs extending from the ends of the body, collars fixed on said shafts and having arms extending into the paths of said lugs, and a coiled spring having one end attached to the body.

9. In a press box door compensator, the combination with the doors of adjacent press boxes, of hinge shafts attached to said doors and having ball ends, a body disposed between said shafts and having sockets for receiving said .ball ends, each shaft having an annular groove for receiving the edge portions of the sockets when said body is connected with unalined shafts, lugs extending from the ends of the body, collars fixed on said shafts and having arms extending into, the paths of said lugs, and a coiled spring having one end attached to the body.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature.

LEON W'. CAMPBELL.

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